Resumen de In from the cold: : How miners and shippers are looking to exploit new Arctic transport routes
Companies including Denmark-based Greenland Rare Earth Projects and NunaMinerals AS, along with Australian developer Greenland Minerals and Energy Ltd and locally registered Tanbreez Mining AS ( see box ), are hoping to exploit the country's rare earths deposits. Meanwhile UK-headquartered Rare Earth Minerals Plc and Angel Mining Plc are eyeing up its rare earths and zinc resources, respectively, and Canada's Hudson Resources Inc. have an anorthosite project under development.
Based in Montreal, it is the country's largest ocean going dry bulk shipping company and its Nunavik bulk carrier was the first vessel to transit Canada's Northwest Passage with an Arctic cargo of nickel concentrate. Its journey started this September and was successfully completed in mid-October, becoming the first vessel to navigate the route unescorted with an Arctic cargo.
"The use of UAVs is proving to be extremely beneficial to identify many ice features that should be avoided ahead of the vessel, as well as identifying open water leads to improve voyage efficiency," says Thomas Paterson, senior vice-president, ship owning, Arctic and projects, at Fednav. "In addition, the deployment of drones fitted with cameras gives the ice navigator another useful aid when making important decisions while transiting heavy ice."
